CO-CONSTRUCTED ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK: ASSESSMENT DESIGN FOR LEARNING

In the higher education sector academics are encouraged to set effective assessment tasks that benefit student learning whilst at the same time making efficiency gains in terms of staff time. Given the limited resources and increased student numbers in academia, it begs the question as to how tutors can assess student learning effectively and provide prompt feedback. These challenges may be more pertinent than ever in the current economic climate, and supporting academics to develop effective, yet efficient assessments is of key importance for academia.

With this in mind, this paper provides an in-depth study based on the implementation of an assessment design which comprises learning activities that support student learning within and beyond the classroom. Group learning comprised of learning assessment and feedback practice which was co-constructed between the tutor-student, student-student, and student-tutor. This practice was captured using a flip camera and uploaded onto a Managed Learning Environment to be utilised as a means for learners to carry on the assessment dialogue outside the class, to review their assessment and that of their peers, to assimilate, reflect upon, and to feed-forward into further assessment practice and feedback.

The assessment design presented demonstrates the interdependency and interactions between pedagogy, the tutor and learner in the learning, teaching and assessment nexus and how together these result in co-constructed knowledge, a sense of belonging, reciprocity, dialogue, participation and increased student engagement. Such interactions have been shown to develop a strong commitment to learning amongst students, fostering an ethos of collaboration with students actively involved in peer and self review - a well supported learning environment that is learner centric.

Quantitative evaluation captured by means of a questionnaire shows that the students valued the assessment design and reported that the video recordings added to the assessment experience. An interesting finding is that students highly rated the feedback provided by both students and staff alike. The findings show that students want to be part of the assessment design process and to be empowered to make decisions based on their assessment needs. Furthermore, the majority of students agreed that students should be required to provide feedback on their own learning and that of their peers. Overall the evidence suggests that students valued the opportunity to co-construct assessment and feedback.

This practice will add to the debate on student participation in assessment design and will support academics in the design of effective and efficient assessment which has been shown through this study to enhance student learning.